Second-generation IKEA Symfonisk bookshelf speaker
It was to be expected that a new variant was on the way: the earlier model had actually already been phased out and the separately available fronts were in the offer box. Now there is a new generation. An official announcement has not yet been made, but the speaker can be seen on the IKEA website in a white and black variant. The price is as before €99,- which is a reasonable price for a ‘genuine’ sonos. The consumption in standby is much lower with these models, namely 2.05 Watt. Previously it was 2.55 Watts. It has a faster processor and more memory, two adjustments that make the speaker more suitable for future updates.
The power cable has also become longer: from 1.5 to 2 meters in length. The buttons are positioned slightly differently to make operation easier. As before, you can place the bookshelf speaker upright in a Billy cabinet or mount it on the wall with a separately available bracket. You can connect the speakers as a stereo pair, also with a Symfonisk bookshelf speaker from the previous generation. In terms of audio quality, nothing seems to have changed. To make sure you have the latest one, check the model number: E1922, versus E1801 from 2019. You can find the new model here.
Earlier this week we discussed the renewed Symfonisk speaker lamp, a table lamp with a built-in speaker. This one has an improved sound and also has interchangeable lampshades, where you now have a choice of glass or textile. The design of this table lamp has been modified, making it look a bit more conventional. There was little criticism of the appearance of the bookshelf speaker; presumably that's also the reason why the design has been maintained.
Read our review of the first-generation bookshelf speaker to find out what we think. Not much has changed in the end.
Of course, this speaker also works with AirPlay 2 and you can connect and control everything with the Sonos app. Thanks to Sonos, the speaker works with hundreds of music services, including Spotify, Deezer and Apple Music. If there are updates for new Sonos services, these Symfonisk speakers will in most cases just participate. It doesn't have a microphone, so you can't ‘m using it for voice commands.
